Chapter 60: The Summoning Contract

"Secret medicine?" Natsuro pondered for a moment before responding, "Teacher, are you referring to something like the military ration pills?"

"Yes, something like that. You know quite a bit, Natsuro." Jiraiya said with admiration.

"Yeah, I read about it in the library, along with other secret medicines like blood-increasing pills."

Hearing this, Jiraiya glanced at Natsuro, pondering why he worked so hard. It was a time of peace, with no one pressuring him. What motivated him to persist so relentlessly? But effort was certainly a good thing, so Jiraiya refrained from asking further and nodded.

"But the secret medicine I'm talking about isn't something as common as that. It's a medicine that can enhance the foundation of the human body, and it's particularly suitable for someone your age."

His eyes lit up as he eagerly awaited Jiraiya to take it out.

However, he saw Jiraiya scratch his head, looking a bit embarrassed under his gaze, and said, "But I don't have any of that secret medicine with me."

Suddenly, it felt as though Natsuro had been doused with cold water, his rising enthusiasm immediately extinguished. He stared at Jiraiya with a questioning look.

Although he didn't say anything, Jiraiya could read from his expression that he was thinking, "Then why did you bring it up? You've wasted my expectations."

"Hmph, Natsuro, while I don't have the secret medicine on me, you'll be able to get what you want later. All you need to do is master the next jutsu I'm going to teach you." Jiraiya said, with no hint of embarrassment, as he took out a scroll and summoned a large scroll from it.

He was startled. If he wasn't mistaken, this scroll should belong to Mount Myoboku, one of the Three Great Sage Regions. Signing his name on it would mean he had entered into a summoning contract with them.

At this moment, he also understood that the secret medicine Jiraiya mentioned was likely from Mount Myoboku.

As he recalled the original "Naruto" series, though his memory was a bit hazy, he couldn't remember any instance where Jiraiya ran out of chakra. Moreover, being able to use Sage Mode, even if it wasn't as perfect as Naruto's, showed that Jiraiya had a high chakra reserve. So, was Jiraiya's chakra also trained from childhood?

While Natsuro was deep in thought, Jiraiya had already opened the scroll. At the front, he saw many names starting with "Toad." confirming that it was indeed the summoning scroll of Mount Myoboku.

As the scroll was fully unfurled, he saw two names written at the bottom in the blank space: Jiraiya and... Minato Namikaze.

"Natsuro, write your name here." Jiraiya instructed.

"Alright." With Jiraiya's guidance, He wrote his name.

Afterward, Jiraiya rolled up the scroll and asked, "Natsuro, you've probably guessed what that scroll is for, haven't you?"

"The summoning contract with the Toad clan." He answered.

"Correct. The secret medicine I mentioned is available there. For the next few days, you'll be learning the summoning technique with me." Jiraiya said.

"Okay." Although he felt he could learn the summoning technique in just a few days, he didn't immediately reject Jiraiya's suggestion.

"But let's call it a day for now." Jiraiya said after checking the time, realizing that quite some time had passed.

"Alright, Sensei." 

Even though he felt there was still time, there was no need to rush. Today's gains were already significant: the Flying Thunder God technique, the secret medicine, and the summoning contract with one of the Three Great Sage Regions.

Even for him, it would take some time to fully digest all of this.

…

In the village of Konoha, Natsuro was holding half an ice pop, feeling somewhat conflicted. He vaguely remembered a similar scene from before, but he didn't expect to be one of the main characters this time.

"Why aren't you eating? Is it not to your taste?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled, as he looked at him.

"No, it's not that. I just don't eat these often." He replied and then finally began eating it. The taste was sweet and actually quite pleasant.

"Not often? Kids like you should enjoy these things." Jiraiya remarked, still puzzled.

"It's okay. Most of the money at home goes towards my nutrition, so I save on unnecessary expenses when I can." He explained.

"Oh, I see. Natsuro, you're really mature for your age." Jiraiya said, feeling a bit moved. He began considering mentioning this to the Third Hokage later on. At the very least, he shouldn't have to worry about affording food…

What Jiraiya didn't know was that, in fact, the salary Shinai earned was enough to support a normal family, provided there was no extravagance. But there was no helping it—Natsuro had a huge appetite, which only grew after he started training. After learning the Lightning Release Massage technique, his food intake increased even more, causing her salary to become somewhat strained.

Natsuro didn't respond, feeling a bit embarrassed by the compliment, though he had intentionally mentioned it in the hope that his mother's salary might increase in the future. As for the reason, any excuse would do.

"By the way, the Old Man said you and... never mind." Jiraiya started, then hesitated and decided not to ask about Naruto. He'd just check on him from a distance later. He feared that seeing Naruto would make it harder for him to leave, but the Great Toad Sage's prophecy was something he had to follow.

So, Jiraiya's departure was inevitable. He only planned to stay for a few days, just long enough to make arrangements for Natsuro, before resuming his travels.

Natsuro didn't ask any questions either, though he had a good idea of who Jiraiya was referring to. But what could he say about Naruto's situation? If Jiraiya knew how Naruto was being treated, he'd likely want to take him along. But would Konoha allow its jinchuriki to wander outside the village?

Such an action would undoubtedly cause conflict between Jiraiya and the village. With the Third Hokage, Jiraiya's teacher, still in charge, it was doubtful Jiraiya could take Naruto away. So even if he told Jiraiya the truth, it would only result in tension without solving anything.

Most importantly, would Naruto even want to leave with someone he just met? Would he trust the Third Hokage, who had always been there, or a stranger like Jiraiya?

Thus, he remained silent.

"Well then, let's meet here tomorrow morning. Natsuro, you should head home now—it's getting late." As Jiraiya spoke, he summoned a large pile of scrolls, compressing them into a single scroll, which he handed to Natsuro to open at home.

Watching this, he decided he would learn these techniques later on. Although they might not be very useful in combat, they would certainly be convenient in daily life.

Afterward, he bid farewell to Jiraiya and left on his own.

As Jiraiya watched him leave, he slowly walked in the opposite direction, toward someone he wanted to see but was afraid to meet—fearing that once they met, he wouldn't want to leave.

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